Keith Schneider looks at Downtown Market, the "newest piece of civic equipment" being built as part of Grand Rapids's transformation from "Furniture City" to vibrant, and growing, hub.
More than a billion dollars of investment over the last decade and a half have made Grand Rapids one of the most successful small cities in the Midwest, if not the entire country. "[F]ull of young professionals in good careers, who enjoy a low cost of living, first-rate restaurants with locally brewed beer and a variety of residential options near work," Michigan's second largest city can boast a growing population and a jobless rate well below the state average.
So what is the secret to their success? "One reason is the distinctive partnerships formed between this city’s redevelopment agencies and wealthy industrialists and philanthropists. Hundreds of millions of private dollars have been raised here to build a downtown that encourages entrepreneurs, develops career-track jobs and attracts new residents."
The latest fruit of those partnerships is the $30 million, 130,000-square-foot Downtown Market, "a destination that is expected to attract 500,000 visitors a year." Building on the trend in local, fresh food, the market is intended as "a year-round, seven-days-a-week public market that would be a place to shop for local foods and a destination for residents and visitors." A feasibility study also predicted the market would serve as an economic engine, with forecasted gross annual sales of around $25 million and the generation of more than 600 jobs.
More importantly, says David Frey, co-chairman of one of the groups that helped get the market built, “[i]t creates a lot of synergy for the development that’s been happening in Grand Rapids for some time now.”
“The people this city attracts now want to be near things,” said Mike VanGessel, president and chief executive of Rockford Construction. “They want to walk, not drive. The Downtown Market is close. It’s part of the answer to, ‘How do we keep doing the next right thing for retaining our talent?’ ”
FULL STORY: A Michigan City Bets on Food for Its Growth
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities
The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.
The Paradox of American Housing
How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.
Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan
Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.
How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities
Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.
Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing
Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.